Contract Details
-28 hours per week, including Saturdays and some evenings
-27-week, fixed term contract
-Wage: $20.00/hour + 4% vacation pay
-Duration: September 12 2023—March 31 2024 (two week unpaid closure in December)
Gallery 44 is a dynamic space and artist-run centre led by a group of artists, curators, and educators. We are seeking a highly motivated individual to support two of the gallery's key programming areas—exhibitions and education. The Curatorial Assistant will contribute to developing and realizing shows in our Main Gallery, Vitrines and Members' Galleries and their adjacent programs, the seasonal workshops series and youth programs.
The Curatorial Assistant will work directly with artists, guest curators, artist-educators, designers and Gallery 44 staff. The role is designed to offer an emerging curator or artist the opportunity to gain hands-on, working knowledge of exhibitions, public and educational programs amongst a collegial staff team of five early to mid-career arts professionals.
The role offers a post-secondary graduate the opportunity to develop new skills in a collaborative work environment, alongside a supportive and engaged community of volunteers, staff and Board members. Applicants must be 30 years of age or younger and recent post-secondary graduates. For full eligibility criteria, read “Who Can Apply” here: https://tinyurl.com/4n5vc3mc
Main Responsibilities
1. Exhibitions and Public Programs
Assist with planning, production and interpretation of exhibitions in the Main Gallery and Vitrines, as follows:
- Attend meetings with artists and curator(s), develop, monitor and update work plans.
- Provide proofreading support on curatorial texts and organize contents for catalogue production.
- Gather images for promotional materials in order to meet advance promotion deadlines.
- Populate exhibition web pages with up to date content in accordance with G44 style guide.
- Facilitate installation plans in consultation with exhibiting artists and curator(s), including researching and sourcing installation materials, outsourcing any fabrication plans.
- Support administration and technical delivery for adjacent public programming (artist talks, screenings, reading groups, etc), including posting events and registering participants with third-party platform Eventbrite.
- Provide exhibition tours for visiting students and community groups.
Support exhibition and adjacent programs in the Members’ Gallery, as follows:
- Independently produce one group and one solo exhibition in the Members’ Gallery, including liaising with member-artists, generating promotional content, exhibition design and installation
- Coordinate and deliver three public events or online resources (ie. exhibition walkthrough, panel discussion, podcast, web art project, etc.)
- Conduct sectoral research as assigned.
2. Education and Community Outreach
Supporting the planning and implementation of educational workshops for youth and adult learners, the intern will assist the following tasks:
- Support OUTREACH, our award-winning arts program for underserved youth, by researching potential community partners, scheduling facilities, procuring workshop supplies and materials and preparing promotions and feedback forms.
- Lead the coordination of our OUTREACH Symposium by researching workshop topics, reaching out to instructors, drafting contracts, managing registration, participant correspondence and supporting implementation of the program.
- Attend programming meetings with external partners, artists and arts educators.
- Support the annual student exhibition CameraLinks, including preparing and distributing the call for submissions and related promotional materials, liaising with teachers, students and industry professionals, managing contracts, forms, artwork inventories, planning exhibition design and assisting with installation.
- Conduct research to develop and expand online and in-person adult learning programs.
- Support the administration and technical delivery of online and in-person workshops, including registering events and participants with third-party platform Eventbrite, procuring materials for workshops and offering assistance to instructors as needed.
- Populate workshop webpages in accordance with G44 style guides, manage registration and waitlists.
- Manage and maintain education-related equipment and facilities.
3. General
- Assist all staff with front desk service for members and the public, sharing information about exhibitions and membership, and lending equipment to members.
- Attend weekly staff meetings.
Qualifications and Skills
The ideal candidate will possess some knowledge in contemporary photography and related practices; will be interested in starting a career in cultural production; will understand the value of arts and culture to the healthy ecosystem of a city such as Toronto; and will bring a positive attitude and collaborative spirit to the position.
The ideal candidate will also possess a combination of the following skills and qualifications:
- College or university graduate from a related discipline (such as curatorial practice, studio arts with an interest in photography and image art; arts management/administration)
- Eager to learn skills related to managing complex projects from concept to production
- Organized, motivated and collaborative
- Strong work ethic and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively
- Good interpersonal skills
Eligibility
Applicants must also meet the requirements of Young Canada Works–Building Careers in Canada candidate eligibility.
An individual may be eligible for an internship if they:
- are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada (non-Canadians holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent status are not eligible);
- are legally entitled to work in Canada;
- are between 16 and 30 years of age at the start of employment;
- are willing to commit to the full duration of the work assignment;
- will not have another full-time job (over 30 hours a week) while employed with the program;
- are unemployed or underemployed;
- are a college or university graduate; and
- are not receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits while employed with the program.
How to Apply
Upload the following documents in pdf format, via the submission link
- CV (indicate if any previous work experience was through the YCW program)
- Letter of interest specific to this role at Gallery 44 (one page maximum)
- Two references (letters of recommendation not required)
Incomplete submissions will not be considered.
Applications close on Thursday, July 6, 2023 at 11:59 PM.
Access and Equity
G44 welcomes applications from all qualified individuals and strongly encourages applications from members of equity-seeking communities, such as Black and Indigenous people, people of colour, women, people who are d/Deaf or have a disability, racial minorities, youth, the socio-economically disadvantaged, and 2SLGBTQIAP+ individuals. We will invite all those contacted for an interview to advise us of accommodations needed to ensure they have access to a fair and equitable process.
For more information:
Accessibility Policy https://tinyurl.com/G44-Accessibility
Equity Policy https://tinyurl.com/G44-Equity
